Lost Future
by Shimmering-Sky
Summary: "He would change the past, no matter what the consequences were. For London. For Flora. And most importantly… for the Professor." - AU, in which future London actually exists, and it really is Future Luke who needs the Professor's help. Pretty dark at points. Spoilers for Unwound/Lost Future.
1. Prologue

…_**Hello. Not sure if any of you know me very well. I mean, I'm much more prominent in the Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds fandom, and the only story I've ever written for this fandom is a one-shot a while ago called Brighter Future.**_

_**How ironic, then, that I've started writing something that's pretty much the exact opposite.**_

_**In this story, the "future" London actually exists, along with the time machine in the Clock Shop working (in a slightly different way). Oh, and don't worry, both Clive and Dimitri have roles in this story. Just not for a while.**_

_**So… yeah. I don't own Professor Layton. Take that! Er, uh, I mean, enjoy the (short) prologue!**_

**Prologue**

"_Find 'im! 'E can't have gone far!"_

He couldn't stop running. No matter how exhausted he was…

_Splash._

No matter how many puddles he ran through - at this point he wouldn't be surprised if his clothes were completely soaked with a combination of water and blood…

"_Boss! I can see him!"_

He nearly swore. They shouldn't have been able to see him that quickly…

The young man ducked into an alley, running between the buildings until he found the place he was looking for. He quickly knocked on the door. The special knock; the only way the owners of the establishment would let someone in.

It was Spring who answered this time. The elderly woman ushered him in with a look of worry on her face, and shut the door tightly behind him.

"What's happened?" Spring asked.

"No time to explain," the young man replied. "Start up the time machine. The Family will be here any second!"

He tightened his grip on the thing in his right hand, the metal digging into his skin. He _couldn't_ be caught by the Family now. Not before fulfilling _her_ last wish. And if he succeeded… it _wouldn't_ be her last wish.

_She would be alive again._

"It's ready!" Cogg called, over the noise that the abnormally large clock in the backroom was making.

At the same time, the door burst open.

He jolted around, expecting to see Bostro and several other Family goons.

His assumption was wrong, and he stood frozen in disbelief.

The same top hat. The same outfit. Everything added up to when he had last seen this man.

_Were those tears in his eyes?_

Impossible. The man - no, the _monster_ - in front of him could _never_ show that sort of emotion. Only anger. It must have been the rain.

_And yet… the usual coldness in his demeanor wasn't there. It was as if he actually _cared _about what had happened to Flora…_

He bit the inside of his lip. His next few words would be crucial… "Why? Why do all of this?"

The coldness returned. "You wouldn't understand. Now, give me back the device."

He furiously shook his head. "Maybe there was a time when I would do anything that you asked. That is definitely _not_ now. Not after everything you've done."

"As if your hands aren't stained as well, Luke?"

He flinched. He tried not to, but he couldn't help it. That was the first time in years that the man had called him by his first name… and his words also rang true. The image of the scientist he had stolen the device - a broken pocket watch - from, unconscious and with a massive wound on the side of his head came to mind first. Then there was the guard that he shoved down a staircase while trying to rescue _her_…

Luke shook his head. "I'm going to change all of that. I'll… I'll… I'll save this lost future! No matter what!"

He slammed his hand into the activation panel, and the last thing he saw before everything went dark was of his old mentor, trying to stop him from activating the time machine.

_He would change the past, no matter what the consequences were. For London. For Flora. And most importantly… for the Professor._

**To be continued…**

_**So, if you couldn't tell by this chapter alone, this story is going to be dark, and very, very AU in most places. But this is only the beginning.**_

_**Depending on how much feedback this story gets, I'll update quickly. Otherwise I'll just retreat back to the Yu-Gi-Oh 5Ds fandom, and this won't get updated that often. So, please review, favorite, and follow if you want to see more!**_


	2. Chapter 1

**_…Five reviews. The prologue got five reviews. My goodness, I was not expecting so much response. Thanks goes to Ulrich362, fafaaf61, the Guest, Lumos314, and mjs22mj for reviewing the previous chapter! Oh, and to the guest, I'm pretty sure some of the words are missing from your review, but your questions should all be answered in time. (I WILL say that the answer to your first one is Flora.)_**

**_I toyed with several ideas for this chapter while writing it, and eventually settled on this: the majority of the story will be Future Luke-centric. So be prepared for that! Also be prepared for quite a bit of things different between the game and this, and some things pretty similar._**

**_I still don't own Professor Layton. Go figures. Enjoy chapter one!_**

**Chapter 1**

_Professor, I hope this finds you well. As for me, I am in quite a predicament. You see, the London we know and love has been thrown into absolute chaos. To complicate matters, the calamity I speak of does not take place in your time. This may be difficult to believe, but I am writing to you from ten years in the future. I know this is a lot to take in, but I'll explain it all soon. For now, I ask that you head to the clock shop on Midland Road in Baldwin. I look forward to seeing you again._

_Your student,_

_Luke Triton_

…He put the pen down and re-read what he wrote. It wasn't too long, and it didn't spill too much, but it would definitely be enough to pique the Professor's interest. If it wasn't for the fact that there was likely members of the Family even back in this time, he would just go to his old mentor himself.

But there were Family members back here, and he couldn't risk getting caught. Not when this could _finally_ be what he needed to fix the past.

"Spring? Do you think you could get Shipley here? I have a letter I need him to deliver…"

**XXX**

Now all he could do was wait. Wait, and plan.

It was a rather boring job, considering it was all he'd done leading up to the break-in…

…And even _that_ had gone horribly wrong.

_He could still feel her blood on his hands, even though the first thing he'd done upon arriving in the past was scrub it all away._

This… this _couldn't_ go wrong. He _couldn't_ fail this time. Especially if he was getting the Professor Layton of the past involved. His past self would likely come as well, and Flora - she would probably tag along somehow.

_I'll keep them all safe_, Luke thought. _Nothing will happen to them, other than what needs to be done to change the past._

He heard the bell ring, announcing that someone had come into the shop. It couldn't possibly have been Shipley, and both Spring and Cogg were already in the shop. That could only mean one thing…

Professor Layton had arrived.

Luke quickly pulled his jacket on, and rearranged his hat. Hopefully the rest of him looked presentable; he _had_ already cleaned himself up after arriving in the past.

He let out a huge sigh, trying to quell the nervousness rising up in his stomach, and turned around.

There stood the Professor, in all of his former glory.

This was nothing like the last time the two of them had met in this shop. The Professor Layton he had spoken to then was nothing but a shell. Now he was here, not yet driven mad, that spark of curiosity in his eyes.

It wasn't just Hershel Layton who stood before him, though. As he suspected, his past self and Flora had come along. Still, it almost hurt to look at all three of them, for one reason or another.

"So, you're…?" Layton started, but didn't finish his statement.

_Now isn't the time for sentimentality._ Luke had to force himself to close his mouth. He swallowed, and said, "It's nice to meet you Professor. Or rather, I suppose I should say it's nice to see you again."

His initial surprise gone, the Professor replied, "Hello, Luke."

No. He wouldn't cry. Even though he really wanted to, because Layton had said his name without any hint of malice whatsoever. Something he had missed… for nearly ten years.

"So tell me, why exactly are you here? And why do you need our assistance?" Layton asked.

"Because all the other ways I've tried to change the past haven't worked," he replied. "Trust me when I say this… the London of my time is nothing like the one you live in today."

"I can see why…" the Professor mused, looking at Luke's head.

Oh, right. He'd almost forgotten about the injury he'd received during his escape to the past - a large gash across the left side of his skull, right above his ear. It was covered in bandages, but he probably forgot to change them…

"Yes…" Luke put a hand to the bandage, and then let it drop to his side. "But my injuries are not the focus of this."

"So… what do you mean when you say 'change the past'?" the Luke of the past asked. "What's so wrong about your London?"

"I was getting to that," he said, slightly annoyed. Was he really so impatient back then? "It started with the events of last week. The time machine demonstration."

If he remembered correctly, it was produced by someone who went by the alias Doctor Alain Stahngun. Stahngun had been about to demonstrate the time machine he had built, when he asked Bill Hawks, to assist him. The machine seemingly backfired, and exploded.

No trace of the scientist or the prime minister had been found.

_Though he could still remember, the way it was originally… where Stahngun had gone by his original name - Dimitri Allen - and both he and Hawks had actually died in the explosion…_

The Professor nodded. "I thought that was related to your letter."

"What if I told you those events were orchestrated by someone from my time? That they weren't how events passed originally?"

Layton adopted his signature thinking pose, one hand on his elbow, and the other curled in front of his mouth. "I would likely not believe you until you showed me proof."

He pursed his lips. "Unfortunately, I don't have that… right now." Of course his mentor would want proof. "But it's the truth. Originally, both Dr. Stahngun and Bill Hawks… died in that explosion. However, _they_ needed both of them for their plans."

"'They'?"

"The people behind the fall of London," he replied. "Though there are two of them, the first is the most threatening. He was… a genius. An evil genius who turned the city on its ear. He's _obsessed_ with changing the past, and creating a fully working time machine."

The three people from this time fell silent.

"But… if there isn't a fully working time machine, how are you here?" Flora asked, breaking the silence.

His eyes darted over to the brunette, in that pink dress she always loved to wear. This wasn't the Flora he'd lost back in the future… "Well, that's because in my time, there are two time machines that… partially function. One is in _their_ control, while the other is right here." He gestured to the large clock that took up the entire wall. "Both of them have two major flaws: they cannot travel more than ten years to the past from the user's home timestream, and the user cannot control when they show up."

"That is… quite troublesome, for a time machine," Layton said. "But you still haven't answered my original question: why do you need our help?"

"I need your help to stop-"

The door burst open, drawing their attention to the short flight of stairs between the entrance and the room they were in. Two men in identical outfits - black coats with tall collars over a white button-up shirt, black pants, white shoes, and a black hat with a white ring above the brim - were the intruders. Both of them looked angry.

And both of them had guns.

**To be continued…**

**_Heh. The Cliffy Queen strikes again. *Facepalm* Did I just give myself a stupid nickname? Yes, I think I did. Um… just pretend I didn't say anything._**

**_Thanks again to everyone who reviewed, favorited, or followed this story! Like I said, I definitely wasn't expecting that much feedback!_**

**_Well, if you want to keep reading, leave a review!_**


	3. Chapter 2

**_Seven reviews now? Am I already that famous in the Professor Layton fandom? Thanks goes to Kjones107716, Ulrich362, mjs22mj, Lumos314, and all three of the Guests for reviewing the previous chapter!_**

**_Oh, and I'll respond to all three guests right here._**

**_Guest 1: No, Dimitri and Bill aren't behind all of this. They're both a part of the real villains' plans (whose identities should be… obvious). I CAN say there will be a lot of seeing "dead" people in the future, though…_**

**_Guest 2: You know what? Just because you asked, Don Paulo WILL be in this. At some point. Along with a certain OTHER master of disguise… and a certain ex-assistant… ;)_**

**_Guest 3: Alright, you get an extra big thanks. I haven't received constructive criticism in FOREVER (despite me always asking for it…) so when I read your review, I was legitimately excited. For your first point, I'll try to add more detail as time goes by. For your second point, I seem to have this thing for a short prologue and a short chapter 1, and then longer chapters from then on. So the length won't be a problem, and like I said, I'll be sure to add more detail! Also, if you DO see any grammar errors at any point in time, point them out. I'm a grammar freak at heart. Good heavens, if I had a nickel for every time someone used the wrong "its/it's", I would be a rich young lady. So rich that I would be able to get my own laptop, a PS4, and the 10 to 20 games I want whose prices range from $40 to $60. But that's besides the point. I'm glad you like my story!_**

**Chapter 2**

_How could they have found me so quickly?_ It shouldn't have been possible - they couldn't have known when he appeared. He hadn't set foot outside of the clock shop, and he hadn't been near any windows, either. The Family couldn't have known he was in here at this very moment. So then… how…?

…Luke would have to find out later. Right now, he had to figure out how to keep the others safe.

"Alright, none of you move," the first goon ordered, waving his gun between the four of them. Past Luke flinched when it was pointed at him, and Flora shuddered.

It took every ounce of him to not charge in irrationally in an attempt to subdue the two men. Thankfully his rational side won out - there was no way to get rid of both at once - and he stayed where he was. But it still hurt to see Flora shivering, and himself scared…

"Just do what we want, and no one gets hurt," the second one added.

_Yeah, right. They'll do something as soon as they get it back._

"So just hand over the pocket watch, Triton."

The first goon's gun was now pointed at him, and yet he didn't waver. Deep down, he was terrified, but he had to keep a level head - like a true gentleman would.

"What are you talking about? I don't have a pocket watch."

"Wha…?" The man clearly hadn't expected the Luke of the past to say anything, but unfortunately, that confusion didn't last long enough for the older Luke to react. The goon shook his head. "No, no, I was talking to him."

"Oh. Well. This is going to take some getting used to…"

"Shut up, kid," the other goon said. He sounded really annoyed and impatient, like he had somewhere else to be. Maybe he did have somewhere to be. Maybe it was just the urgency in which they needed the pocket watch. Either way, Luke could use it to their advantage… somehow…

He looked over at the Professor, who had been oddly silent throughout this whole event. The man seemed to be deep in thought. Barely above a whisper, Luke asked, "Professor, do you have a plan?"

At first, the only reply is silence. _I bet he's _too_ deep in thought to hear me, _Luke thought,_ and that would mean he's still formulating a plan._ He let out a small sigh. If Professor Layton was planning something, then they would be free soon. He just hoped said planning would finish soon… there's only so much stalling one can do while held at gunpoint.

"…Perhaps, if we could distract them, then we could either disarm them or escape," the Professor replied, also whispering. His dot-like eyes were still looking around the room. "I just can't find anything within reach that I could distract them with without endangering us. Also… Flora and… my Luke are too far away to help."

His Luke. It was the truth, but it still stung. The Professor that stood next to him was not his Hershel Layton, and he was not his Luke Triton.

Suddenly his bag seemed a million times heavier. The distraction they needed was in there, he realized, but… but there was no way he could touch it. Besides, it was empty. Why he even kept it, when even just _looking_ at one sent shivers up his spine, was beyond him.

_…No one else knows it's empty, though._

_There's no way they'd fall for it pointed at them, though. Not to mention the fact that there are two of them and only one of me,_ Luke thought. _Every puzzle has an answer, but what's the one for this one?_

It came to him a moment later, and he immediately tried to deny it. He doubted that the Professor trusted him yet, and this would no doubt break whatever small amount of it he had. It's one thing to threaten people. To threaten Layton himself…? If it was _his_ Layton, he would probably do it in a heartbeat. But this _wasn't_ his Layton. This Layton was innocent. He couldn't threaten him. He just couldn't.

"Hey you two! Stop whispering about… whatever it is you're whispering about!" one of the goons said. Both of them had their guns pointed at Luke.

Luke sees a spark of curiosity light up the Professor's face. He must have noticed that they aren't targeting him at all, despite him being just another hostage. Knowing him, Luke would bet that he already figured out that the "evil genius" who had taken over future London was himself. The fact that the two Family goons weren't targeting him would probably prove his deduction.

"Professor… I have an idea, but…"

"If you think it could work, then you should try it."

"I _said_ be quiet!" the same goon from before growled, taking a few steps closer.

"There's no need for that, gentlemen," the Professor said. "I was only trying to convince him to hand over the pocket watch you seem to need so badly."

"Oh." The anger dissipates from the man's face, and he actually smiled a little. "Thanks bo-" the other goon elbows him in the side, "er, I mean, looks like your allies are turning against you, Triton." Complete with yet another glare at him.

His lips formed a scowl rather than the grin he wanted to; he could go along with that. And what the Professor said gave him the perfect opportunity to go through his bag. "Fine… I'll hand it over. But I have to get it out of my bag first."

He swings the old messenger bag off of his shoulder, kneels down, and opens it up, careful to not show the inside to their captors. A few pencils, his journal, a golden locket (he would have to move that somewhere else later), the item that they want, and finally, the thing he was going to remove from the bag. He took one look at the Professor, who undoubtedly had seen the inside of the bag. The man in the top hat nodded, ever so slightly.

His stomach felt like a million butterflies were inside of it. Wrapping his hand around the gun, he couldn't help but think of all the things that could go wrong. The Family could see through his bluff, his past self could try something stupid because he had no idea what their plan was, or his finger could slip and reveal that the gun was empty, thus calling his bluff. (He refused to acknowledge the fourth option: that the gun could still have bullets in it, and his finger could slip…)

He took a deep breath, trying not to make it noticeable. If they thought something was wrong, then he was in trouble. Of course, by the fact that he was taking so long, they might already suspect something…

_No more hesitating. I _have_ to do this_. His messenger bag still on the ground, Luke stands up abruptly. At the same time, he moves over the short distance between he and the Professor, so that he's standing behind him. With that, he grabbed his mentor with his left arm, and aimed the gun at his head.

Needless to say, the others were utterly shocked. Flora screamed, covering her mouth in horror. Past Luke shouted, "I _knew_ there was something fishy about you!" And the two goons just stared in surprise.

He made the most menacing face he could muster, and declared, "You two better back off, or he dies."

They shared a frantic look, but that quickly returned to their normal, angry looks. The first one, on the verge of smirking, said, "Nice try, but that doesn't mean anything to us."

"Oh, it doesn't?" Luke replied. He hoped he sounded confident. "Why, because your boss is still in the future?"

"Well, yeah! You can't touch him here!"

He laughed. It sounded strained, but he laughed. "You clearly don't understand the rules of time travel very well. Have you ever heard of the Grandfather Paradox?" At the blank looks on both of the goons' faces, he explained, "It means that if you were to travel back in time and kill your grandfather before he met your grandmother, then that would erase you from existence as well - since one of your parents would have never been born - but it creates an infinite loop, because if you never existed in the first place, who could have killed your grandfather?" He shook his head. "Anyways, this is like that, except a lot less complicated. If I kill the Professor - and I _will_ if you two don't put down your weapons - then your boss would cease to exist. It doesn't matter that he's not in this timeline."

"…!" They look at each other frantically again, and seem to fall for his trick. The two put their guns down in defeat, and start to back away.

Then, a cold voice said, "You wouldn't kill him, though. You couldn't do that to your friend." The owner of the voice laughed, and added, "That's your weakness, Luke."

He couldn't spin around, but he could turn his head just enough to see the newcomer. His eyes widened in surprise. There were only two differences between he and the newcomer: their age - he was a few years younger than the other man - and the fact that Luke wore a hat. Everything else about them looked the same, it was uncanny. "Clive…? But that's… how?"

The man who looked like him grinned madly. "You only took one of the two things we needed to complete our time machine. Yours controls how far back we can go, and the one you didn't steal controls when and where, within the ten-years-only restriction."

_How come I can never plan for everything…?_ He didn't even know that second object existed, whatever it was. "Nnn… What do you want?"

"The item you stole, of course," Clive replied. "Hand it over, or are you going to keep up that pointless threat?"

His grip on the Professor loosened slightly, and he almost dropped the gun. His bluff had been called… hadn't it? His determination returned when he realized it hadn't; there was the slightest touch of fear in Clive's eyes. "No, I _won't_ give it up, because it _isn't_ pointless."

"Tch…!" Clive's eyes narrowed slightly, and he looked away. They opened all the way back up when he seemed to get an idea, and his insane smile returned. "Heh… Two can play at that game."

Before he can react, Clive had already grabbed Flora _and_ his Past Luke. With one last sneer in his direction, they disappeared, along with the Family goons. Not with a flash of light or anything. They simply vanished.

"No!" Luke shouted, releasing the Professor and running to where Clive had been a second ago. "Ngh… how could I have been so stupid…?"

"Plans can fail, my boy," the Professor answered. "I don't believe any of us could have seen that coming…"

"I guess… but still!" He dropped the gun, letting it clatter onto the floor. "I know you have a lot of questions Professor, but we need to go after them! If they do anything to your Luke… it could hurt me too. And if they do something to Flora…" he shuddered at the thought.

"Do you know where they've gone?"

He nodded. "Back to my time."

**To be continued…**

_**Okay, I think this chapter was… decent. I apologize for the lack of Layton dialogue, but I just couldn't think of something for him to say that sounded in-character before Future Luke was pretending to hold him hostage. I also apologize if I screwed up the description of the Grandfather Paradox and that whole bit. And if anyone was OOC… well, I apologize for that too.**_

_**At least you got Clive. Yes, I told you he'd have a role in this story. No, I'm not changing his backstory… at least not too much. Otherwise it will either become worse than the canon or WAAAAAAAAY too sci-fi for a Professor Layton story (fans of my story Blue Sky know how… creative my imagination can be with backstories. If you haven't read that, which is probably the majority of you, just trust me, it isn't pretty).**_

_**Well, thanks again all of you who are reading this! If you want to make me super happy and continue writing this, please review! Reviews are food for my imagination!**_


	4. Chapter 3

_**Six reviews this time, well, seven if you count the extra one on chapter 1. All right! Thanks goes to Ulrich362, mjs22mj, Riku Courtier, and the three Guests for reviewing the previous chapter (and the one that reviewed chapter 1, as well)!**_

_**Guest 1/Another guest: Thanks for the tip. It's definitely going to be pretty hard, because I WANT this story to be in past tense while the other stories I write are all in present tense. So, if I slip up, feel free to point out my mistakes! I'm glad you like my story though!**_

_**Guest 2: I don't know if you're doing it on purpose, or whatever you're reviewing my story on keeps glitching out, but for some reason, pieces of your review don't show up. Like, it starts one coherent thought, stops in the middle of that one, and then skips to the middle of a completely different one… I find it hard to reply to "**__**Clive,the man who went insane and almost destroy mention about the deceased time traveller?", which is what your review said. Um… but, thanks for the review anyways!**_

_**Guest 3: Yeah, I'm pretty sure it should be obvious who the other master of disguise is. You're free to imagine how I'll incorporate him later. Oh, and me accidentally calling myself Cliffy Queen in the author's note of chapter 1 was a reference to the fact that I end pretty much everything else that I write with cliffhangers. I wasn't basing that on two really short pieces of writing. Thanks for the reviews, though!**_

_**Sorry for the wait. Marching band's kind of taking away all of my free time on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and a combination of school (my Math III Honors teacher seems to love giving us ridiculously hard problems and not explain how to do them) and church takes away everything else. Plus, I might've gotten mini-writer's block when it came to keeping Professor Layton in character. How that's even possible, when he's the main character of the series and as such probably the EASIEST to keep in character is beyond me.**_

…_**Anyways, I just realized I forgot to do a disclaimer last chapter. So, yeah. The amazingness of the Professor Layton series belongs to Level-5, not me. Still, I hope you enjoy the next installment of Lost Future!**_

**Chapter 3**

He didn't want to go back. When he'd activated the time machine and travelled ten years to the past, he thought that it would have been able to be done without having to go back. That the simple act of directly influencing the Hershel Layton of the past would be able to change the future.

Now, he _had_ to go back to his own time.

Luke gritted his teeth as he made sure he had everything that he needed. He still had his journal, and what few medical supplies he carried around in case of emergency. And the pocket watch that he'd refused to hand over was still there. The locket, though… This he took out of the bag, and was about to slip into his pocket, when…

"May I see that?"

Luke's hand tightened around the necklace. He hadn't wanted anyone to know that he had it, mostly because of the questions it would create… and because those questions would force him to remember one of the worst days of his life. "Later, Professor. We don't have the time right now," he replied stiffly, as he slid the locket into his pocket.

"Hm…" The Professor didn't press any further, much to Luke's relief.

"There." He re-did the clasp to his back, and pulled it back onto his shoulder. "I've got everything that I need. Are you… ready to travel to the future?"

Layton adjusted his top hat, and nodded. "What do I have to do?"

"Stand over there," Luke replied, pointing at the space directly in front of the massive clock. "I have to start it up."

Truthfully, he had never done that before. It was always Cogg who started the time machine, and then Luke who used it. It didn't look _too_ hard; only pulling a lever at the side of the clock. Still, he wished that Cogg or even Spring was here, just to make sure nothing went wrong…

Of course, that would have gotten them involved in what just happened, so…

He put both hands on the lever and pulled it.

Nothing happened, aside from a couple odd-sounding clicks.

"Not now…!" Luke shouted. It couldn't just stop working, not _now_ of all times!

"What seems to be the problem?" the Professor asked, as he walked over to him.

"I… I don't know," the young man in blue admitted. "It just… won't start. I'd ask Cogg—that's the owner of this shop—to fix it, but he's not here right now, and I don't know when he'll be back."

"Hm…" The gentleman in the top hat leaned over, and tried to examine the machine. "Ah! I may not be a mechanical engineer, but…" he reached into a gap between the clock and the lever, "I believe this may be the cause of the issue."

Luke looked at the object Professor Layton had rescued from the floor. It was a small cog, no bigger than the palm of his hand. At first he was going to say that it couldn't have caused any issues, but he realized that it could have been in a vital part of the machine. And with a gear missing from it… "Okay. We have the cause. Now, how do you propose we get it back in the machine?"

"Why, with a puzzle, of course." A small smile appeared on Layton's face. "Look, there are three places it could fit back into, but only one of them can be correct."

"You're right…"

A puzzle? He should have expected as much from his old mentor. Puzzles were a given, along with tea and mysteries, on every adventure he'd gone on since becoming the Professor's apprentice. It had been quite a while since he'd been able to sit down and solve any, although Spring and Cogg _would_ come up with small brainteasers every once in a while…

Oh, how he _missed_ being able to sit down and enjoy a cup of tea and some puzzles with his old friend. Once his Layton had dissolved into madness, they were enemies. No time for tea; all that remained was a constant battle of wits that neither of them wanted to lose.

Luke examined the spots where the gear could fit into. All three spots were gaps between two larger gears in the machine… _Hm, those two gears have small arrows on them_, he realized. _Could that mean they have to turn that way in order to work?_

With that knowledge under his belt, he tried to imagine what the gears would do if the small one was placed in each spot. An odd number of cogs needed to be between the two large gears in order for them to rotate in different directions. That meant… "I believe the small gear belongs right there, Professor."

"I was thinking the same thing as well." The gentleman in a brown suit placed the cog in the spot they believed its place to be.

There was only one way to find out if it worked. Luke pulled the lever again, and this time, the clock sprang to life. The three oversized hands started to spin rapidly, with the clock itself chiming loudly every few seconds.

_This puzzle has met its match_, Luke thought, with relief. He didn't know what he would have done had it not worked. "Alright, Professor! Time to go to my time!"

He grabbed the Professor's arm - gently, this time, unlike when he pretended to hold him hostage - and pulled him over to the front of the clock. The activation panel, which was really a pressure-sensitive plate at the base of the clock, was still easy to reach.

His vision faded to black.

**XXX**

Though this was by no means the first time he had time travelled, the after-effects still hit him rather hard. Luke supposed it was because of the fact that the time machine wasn't quite perfected yet, but either way, his stomach felt like it wanted to forcibly get rid of the sandwiches he'd had for lunch.

It didn't look like Professor Layton fared much better, but at least he only looked a little bit green.

Luke shook his head in an attempt to make the black spots dancing in front of his vision go away. It worked, and he was able to look around. They weren't in the Clock Shop, they were in a side street. He frowned a little. Usually the time machine dropped him off in that one building, though there _were_ times when it hadn't. This just had to be one of those.

"Professor, are you alright?"

"I…" Layton paused, as he breathed heavily a few times. "Just give me a moment to… get my bearings."

"I understand," Luke replied. "The first time is the worst." The door at the end of the sidestreet shuddered, as though someone had leaned against it from the other side. It caught his attention, and he narrowed his eyes at it. "Don't take too long, though. The Family could be on us at any moment."

"…I'm fine now." The Professor adjusted his hat. "What are we going to do now?"

"We'll have to lie low for now, but I know just the place," he replied. "I'll be able to answer all of your questions once we get there as well."

**XXX**

The two made their way through London, after Luke had disguised himself. (Although, it really only required him taking of his hat. One of the pros of having an almost identical lookalike as your enemy.) Neither of them said much of anything. If he had to guess, Luke thought the Professor was trying to grasp his surroundings. It wasn't every day that you travelled to the future, after all. Plus, he was probably looking for proof that this _was_, in fact, future London.

If it came to that, he had an idea of where to take Professor Layton to show him definitive proof of his travel through time.

But, for the moment, they were at their destination. Hotel Duke, located just next to the arcade, and only a few blocks from the subway. The location was superb for easy access to, well, everywhere. Also, the owner, an elderly woman named Margaret who had the tendency to fall asleep a lot, along with her granddaughter, Becky, were both friends of his and would never rat him out to the Family. (Not to mention the fact that the food was amazing. Certainly a plus in his mind.)

As always, the red-haired young woman stood outside. She tugged on the sleeves of her longsleeve undershirt, admittedly because it was chilly today. When she spotted them, her eyes widened in alarm, but that fear quickly went away.

"Hello, Becky," Luke said, bowing just a little bit. "You've kept my room tidy, I presume?"

She nodded, beaming at him. "Of course! Five-star service for a five-star customer!" She tilted her head to the side, and stared at the Professor. "Although, aren't you going to introduce me to your… friend?"

Layton beat him to the punch, as he dipped his hat and said, "My name is Hershel Layton. Pleased to make your acquaintance."

"Oh! Then, you're…!" She covered her mouth, and took two steps back.

"Becky, it's alright. He's not…" Luke paused. How would he explain this to Becky? She didn't know about the time machine in the Clock Shop, much less the fact that he had travelled through time before. _Oh, that's right! She knows a little bit about him,_ he realized. _Though, I really don't want to lie to her, I suppose I have no choice._ "This is really Don Paulo. We were just making sure that he could pull off being… Layton."

_Please go along with it. Please, Professor, don't make me have to tell her the truth._

He held in a sigh of relief when his old mentor didn't say anything, and Becky's shoulders relaxed. She believed his lie.

"Well, I can definitely say you're doing a good job," she said, directed at the Professor. "I bet you could've fooled your own mother in that disguise."

"Yes, well…"

"I'm sorry, but can we continue this inside?" Luke interrupted. He had a sneaking suspicion someone had spotted them, and he didn't want to remain in the open for much longer.

"Oh, sure!"

**XXX**

After talking with Becky for a little longer, Luke showed the Professor his room in the hotel. It wasn't much, with the only personal item on display being a picture of his parents, but it worked for him.

"You know, a true gentleman should never lie to a lady."

He knew this was coming. A rebuttal for what he had to do. "Yes, I know. It's just… Becky doesn't know about the time machine, so how was I supposed to explain who you really were?" He plopped down on his bed, and shrugged. "Anyways, you wanted answers. If you want to ask me anything, now would be the time."

They still had several hours to kill before they could meet up with one of two people who could tell them where Past Luke and Flora were.

**To be continued...**

_**Alright, that's it for this chapter. I just don't want to start an explanation, and then have to stop part of the way through. Next chapter will be Luke explaining most of everything.**_

_**Oh, and if there's a specific question you want answered though, please leave it in a review! If you don't have a question, leave a review anyways! They encourage me to keep writing (and the questions will make sure I didn't leave any gaping plot holes)!**_

_**Thanks again for the support! *Edgeworth bow* Gah, oh, dang it. Sorry, I've been playing Ace Attorney Investigations WAAAAY too much as of late.**_


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